CPM demands all party meet to assess State’s loss in Polavaram

BERHAMPUR: The CPM has urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for an all-party meeting to assess the loss Odisha is likely to incur due to the Polavaram project. Led by Basant Nanda and Judhistir Behera, the Left party members reached the RDC (South) office here and submitted a memorandum in this regard on Tuesday. 

As per the memorandum, construction of the project will cause considerable damage in Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Malkangiri and Koraput districts by submerging large vast tracts of land besides displacement of tribals. In 2008, the party had filed a case opposing the project which is pending in the Supreme Court.

A similar case filed by Odisha government too is pending with the apex court. But the State is yet to come up with a  proper assessment of loss it is likely to bear due to the project which is estimated to displace 371 habitations and over 1 lakh families of which 60-70 per cent are backward tribes like Koya and Konda Reddis with no proper rehabilitation plan.